The death was reported on the social network “Instagram” by his wife, Eva Smirnova, serving in the Ukrainian army, with the call sign “Junga.” The woman is pregnant – in just a few weeks, the couple’s son, Danylo’s first child, is expected to be born.
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“My Dania ‘Surfer’ died. In a few weeks, the continuation of his life will be born – our son, little Smirnov. And then I will take revenge,” wrote the deceased young man’s wife.
As reported by the Ukrainian media, D. Smirnov previously led the assault group of the 2nd mechanized battalion of the 3rd separate assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He participated in battles in the Donetsk region and also fought in the Avdiivka direction – one of the most intense front-line sectors.
During one of the battles, the soldier was wounded, spent some time recovering and rehabilitating. After recovering, D. Smirnov returned to service and continued fighting in the ranks of the International Legion of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
What is known about “Surfer”?
In one interview with the Ukrainian TV channel “Rada”, D. Smirnov said that in February 2022, when Russia began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, he was only 16 years old. At that time, many men in his family joined the territorial defense, and the teenager himself helped soldiers at a checkpoint near his home.
Later, D. Smirnov went to study in Lithuania. According to him, his parents wanted their son to get an education and learn English. However, the young man eventually chose a different path. He dropped out of studies in Lithuania to help his country defend itself against Russia.
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“After some time, my uncle in Bakhmut was very seriously wounded. Then I decided that I urgently had to return from Lithuania and help my uncle bring our victory closer. After all, no one else will do it for us,” the soldier said.
D. Smirnov chose the call sign “Surfer” not by chance. Before starting service, he professionally engaged in surfing and participated in competitions.
D. Smirnov’s wife Eva, with the call sign “Junga,” also serves in the Ukrainian army. She is an FPV drone operator in the combat unit “Rubizh” brigade. E. Smirnova went to the front as soon as she reached adulthood.
“I celebrated my adulthood in Vienna, bought a ticket to Kyiv, and after a week or two, as soon as the opportunity arose, I signed a contract. But in fact, I had made this decision a long time ago. I wanted to do it from the very beginning and realized that I was capable of doing it,” Eva Smirnova told in an interview with the publication “Ukrainska Pravda”.
Eva and Danylo met in the war. In a few weeks, their son is expected to see the world.
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